ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to fill some gaps in understanding of the rural unrest in Vietnam, from which potential implications for strategies of nonviolence in reconciliation efforts can be found. It explores the characteristics, nature, and the development trends of the rise of peasant collective protests, and the causes that have led to the triggering of collective protests as well as the responses of the State of Vietnam to this rising movement. The chapter focuses on the grassroots, starting with some specific protests that took place in different areas in Vietnam after economic reform was introduced to the country, which may help uncover common characteristics and the nature of these protests. It describes major collective protests by peasants in Thai Binh and Van Giang, and by the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.
